We are currently on the road to WWE Survivor Series, which takes place in less than 3 weeks on Saturday, November 26, 2022. Attention will then turn to January’s Royal Rumble event, but planning is already well-underway for WrestleMania 39.
Looking back over a year ago, there’s been speculation that the main event of next year’s WrestleMania will be Roman Reigns vs. The Rock. Each man has spoken publicly about this hypothetical match-up, as has WWE’s Chief Content Officer and Head of Creative, Triple H.
Related: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania
- Roman Reigns on WrestleMania Match With The Rock: ‘If It Works Out, I’m Ready’
- The Rock Talks Roman Reigns, Vince McMahon’s Retirement
- Paul Heyman Says Roman Reigns Match Is ‘Up To The Rock’
- The Rock Officially Acknowledges Roman Reigns As The Tribal Chief
The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania would do blockbuster business for WWE, but there is a big complication that could prevent it from happening. The Rock is the biggest star in the Hollywood. He’s also a successful entrepreneur, with multiple ongoing ventures including Project Rock Apparel, Teremana Tequila and the XFL, just to name a few.
The match could happen, but the odds are probably less than 50/50 at this point. Rock’s schedule is the biggest issue, but WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair thinks there’s another factor that could hold things up.
Flair Comments on Rock vs. Reigns at WrestleMania
On the latest episode of his To Be The Man podcast, Flair says there are major creative considerations to take into account. If The Rock does return for a retirement against Reigns, it makes sense that the part-time special attraction would ‘do business’ one last time.
Flair says that it would not make sense for The Rock to win the championship from Reigns, because he’ll never be a full-time wrestler again. He’s also not so sure The Rock wants to come back only to lose.
“I don’t think it’s a given that the Rock is going to do it. As much as he might respect Roman, I’m sure they do, all those guys. It’s a brotherhood like no other. I don’t think The Rock would come back and do a favor. Why would he? Tomorrow morning, what, he goes back to his acting career with a loss? I don’t think so. I don’t see that happening.”
– Ric Flair
The Other Option
There are ways around this predicament, including Reigns dropping the title before WrestleMania. If The Rock does not return next year, Flair likes the idea of Cody Rhodes facing Reigns at the biggest show of a the year, a match that many fans see as the most likely alternative to Rock vs. Reigns.
“I’ve said before, if The Rock happens, that’s great. If it doesn’t, I would like it to be Cody Rhodes… I thought those matches that Cody had with Seth Rollins were off the hook. Seth really did a good job getting him over.”
Rhodes has been sidelined since suffering a pectoral tear earlier this year. His most recent match took place at Hell in a Cell on June 5th. Since then, he’s undergone surgery to repair the injury. Earlier this month, Rhodes said his physical therapy is “fn’ awful. He’s a tough guy, but admits he regularly screams and even sheds a tear during the sessions.